Urban Legends

When Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson advances on Bo Cantrell Saturday night in EliteXC, it'll be his first authentic, sanctioned prizefight recorded in his 33 years -- the exhibition bout with Ray Mercer notwithstanding.

Yet a substantial number of people in the arena and at home will be familiar with Slice, both with his menacing, bearded mug and his 235-pound frame capable of rendering those in close proximity concussed and ego-bruised.

I truly believe that unsanctioned fighting of any kind is one of the worst things for this great sport, but at the same time, if I told you that there was a video of the greatest fight I've ever seen on YouTube but it was a street fight, wouldnt you still want to check it out and see what it was about? Admittedly, I would.

The greatest potential for damage to the sport though, I think comes when we use someone like a Tank Abbot or "Kimbo Slice" to promote an MMA event. While there is truly nothing wrong with them competing in a sanctioned event, it just makes it easier for all the opposers to the sport to say, "MMA is nothing but a bunch of street-fighting thugs beating each other senseless."